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Cloud storage is convenient, sure, but monthly subscriptions can mount up exceptionally quickly, especially when your photo library, video collection, and backups continue growing relentlessly year after year.
For many users, building a private cloud has become a practical alternative that provides greater control over data while eliminating recurring storage fees. That's where NAS comes in. Network-attached storage connects directly to your network, creating a centralized location for files, backups, media streaming, and remote access.
Whether you're storing family photos, sharing documents across a small business, or managing large creative projects, a NAS can provide a secure and flexible storage platform.
Top individual NAS dealUgreen NASync DXP4800 PlusThis four-bay NAS combines a five-core processor, 8GB DDR5 memory, dual high-speed network connections, and NVMe expansion support. With capacity reaching 144TB, it offers fast transfers, private cloud storage, automated backups, and broad cross-platform compatibility.
In the UK: now £480 (was £620)View Deal
IronWolf driveWith 12TB of capacity, a 7200RPM spindle speed, and CMR technology, this NAS-focused hard drive is built for always-on storage environments. RAID compatibility, a 256MB cache, and dependable multi-user performance make it a popular choice for network storage. This drive pairs perfectly with the DXP4800 Plus 4-Bay Desktop NAS and comes in a range of capacities (of different prices) from 4TB right up to 32TB.
Top NAS deal for SMBTerraMaster F4-424 ProBuilt for small and medium-sized businesses, this four-bay NAS combines an eight-core processor, 32GB DDR5 memory, dual 2.5GbE networking, and NVMe caching support. Extensive backup tools, RAID options, and high-speed connectivity help streamline shared storage workloads.
In the UK: now £593 (was £790)View Deal
IronWolf Pro driveThis 12TB drive combines CMR recording, a 7200RPM spindle speed, and a 256MB cache. Enterprise-focused reliability, RAID support, and consistent performance make it well suited to business and professional storage environments. Available in 8TB-32TB capacities.
Top NAS deal for EnterpriseUgreen DXP4800 ProBuilt for demanding workloads, this four-bay NAS combines a six-core Intel processor, 8GB DDR5 memory, dual high-speed networking, and NVMe expansion. Support for virtualization, Docker, RAID, and up to 144TB of storage makes it ideal for professionals and growing teams.
In the UK: now £620 (was £690)View Deal
Exos driveThis 12TB SAS hard drive features a helium-sealed design, hot-plug support, and PowerBalance technology for efficient operation. FastFormat support and advanced data protection features make it suitable for demanding, always-on workloads.
The good news is that setting up a private cloud no longer requires enterprise-level hardware or crazy, advanced knowledge. Modern NAS devices are easier to configure than ever, with intuitive software, mobile apps, and automated backup tools that handle much of the heavy lifting.
For individuals looking to replace or supplement cloud services, the Ugreen NASync DXP4800 Plus offers a great starting point.
It delivers plenty of performance for media libraries, personal backups, and home office use, while leaving room for future expansion.
In his hands-on coverage of the product, our expert Mark said the "new NAS brand comes with serious intent" and that it was "exceptionally well-considered and powerful."
Small businesses often require a little more flexibility, especially when multiple employees need access to shared files and backups.
The TerraMaster F4-424 Pro is one of the most capable options in this category, combining fast hardware with business-friendly features that can support growing storage requirements.
In his glowing review, Mark called it the "new powerhouse of the TerraMaster F4 series." He went on to say it was, "probably the most powerful 4-bay NAS available, the F4-424 Pro is ideal for those needing a development tool with plenty of processor performance."
Professionals and demanding users managing larger workloads could benefit from stepping up to the Ugreen DXP4800 Pro.
Mark's review called the model's arrive "timely" and said it provided a "subtle upgrade from the Plus model, yet these changes have significant implications for this network-attached storage device."
With more processing power, higher memory limits, and support for advanced workloads, it can handle everything from virtualization to large-scale content storage.
Of course, choosing the NAS itself is only part of the equation. Pairing the right enclosure with reliable drives can make a huge difference in performance, capacity, and long-term reliability.
In this guide, we'll walk through the best NAS options for individuals, small businesses, and professional users, along with the storage drives we recommend to go with them for building a private cloud that fits your needs and budget.
For more picks, check out our guides to the best NAS devices, best NAS hard drives and best NAS and media server distros.
FAQQ: What is a NAS?
A NAS, or Network Attached Storage, is a dedicated storage device connected to a network that allows multiple users and devices to access files from a central location. It provides shared storage for documents, photos, videos, backups, and business data without requiring a full server setup.
Q: Why would an individual user need a NAS?
Anyone with a growing collection of files can benefit from a NAS. It provides a private location for photos, videos, documents, and backups while making content available across computers, smartphones, and tablets. Many home users also use NAS systems for media streaming, remote access, and automatic backups.
Q: What features are important for personal NAS systems?
Most personal users should focus on storage capacity, ease of setup, backup tools, and support for multiple drives. Features such as RAID protection, mobile apps, and cloud synchronization can provide additional convenience and data protection.
Q: How does NAS benefit small and medium-sized businesses?
SMBs often need centralized file storage that employees can access from different locations. A NAS can simplify collaboration, automate backups, manage permissions, and reduce dependence on external storage devices. It also offers a more affordable alternative to dedicated servers for many organizations.
Q: What should SMBs look for when choosing a NAS?
Businesses should consider scalability, user management, backup options, security features, and network performance. Support for virtualization, file versioning, and integration with business applications can also be valuable as storage requirements increase.
Q: How does enterprise NAS differ from consumer and SMB solutions?
Enterprise NAS platforms are built for much larger workloads, higher performance requirements, and larger user counts. They often include advanced redundancy, failover protection, high-speed networking, and support for petabytes of storage.
These systems are commonly deployed in data centers, large organizations, and environments where downtime isn't acceptable.
Q: Is NAS secure?
Modern NAS systems offer encryption, user permissions, multi-factor authentication, and backup tools to help protect data. Security still depends on proper configuration, software updates, and strong access controls.
Q: Can a NAS grow with changing storage needs?
Many NAS platforms support additional drives, expansion units, and capacity upgrades, allowing storage resources to increase as requirements change.
Getting startedGetting started with a NAS device is easier than many first-time buyers expect and is essentially a dedicated storage system that connects to your home or office network, allowing multiple users and devices to access files from a central location.
Before you begin, think about how you'll use it. Simple file storage and backups require less processing power than tasks such as media streaming, virtualization or surveillance recording.
The next step is choosing the right hardware. Select a NAS enclosure with enough drive bays to accommodate both your current storage needs and future expansion.
When selecting hard drives, look for models specifically designed for NAS environments, as these are built to handle continuous operation and multi-drive workloads.
Consider using RAID for redundancy, which can help protect your data if a drive fails, although RAID should never be treated as a substitute for proper backups.
Once your hardware is assembled, connect the NAS to your router and follow the manufacturer's setup wizard.
Most modern NAS platforms provide straightforward web-based interfaces that guide you through creating storage pools, shared folders and user accounts. Be sure to enable automatic updates and configure backup jobs early in the process.
With a little planning, a NAS can become the central hub for file storage, backups, media libraries and collaboration across your network.
- Xbox is reportedly working on a disc-to-digital feature for existing consoles called 'Positron'
- The feature will allow Xbox users to insert a disc and convert their game to a digital format
- A separate report also claims that Project Helix won't have a disc drive
Like PlayStation, it seems that Xbox is moving away from physical games as new reports claim that Microsoft is testing a disc-to-digital feature for existing consoles and could release a next-gen Project Helix console without a disc drive.
According to The Verge, sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans claim that the company is currently working on a way for Xbox users to digitize their existing physical game library following a reference to "enable Disc2Digital" found in the Xbox PC app code in May.
The new feature, reportedly called 'Positron', will supposedly only work with Xbox One and Xbox Series X discs, not with Xbox 360 or original Xbox consoles. However, some Xbox One discs might not work with this new feature.
"It all depends on how and when the disc was manufactured and it may not have the features we need for this program," Microsoft told its internal Xbox testers.
To convert a physical game to digital, it's said that users would only need to insert a compatible disc, install, and play the game. A Microsoft account on an Xbox console will grant a digital entitlement for physical games, which are tied to a specific disc and can be moved between accounts if users swap the physical game with a friend or log in to a different profile and try to play a disc-based game.
The feature will also work for physical games bundled with a console and multi-disc titles. Players can still use the discs after converting them, but they'll lose their digital entitlement if they loan or sell the disc to someone else.
More information will arrive in the coming months, so it appears to be a feature that could be planned for before the next-gen Xbox console, Project Helix.
Speaking of which, it seems Microsoft is going all in on the digital market by releasing Project Helix without a disc drive, according to Windows Central sources.
No additional details were provided, but it's said that new details about the console will be revealed later this year.
The Xbox reports came after Sony announced that no new PlayStation games will be released on physical disc from January 2028 onwards.
The company shared a post, saying that the decision is "a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs," and will "enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today."
- Microsoft Teams reveals more on new Facilitator AI tol
- Facilitator will monitor your Teams meetings and act as a manager and assistant
- It can help fill in knowledge gaps, but raises concern over privacy
Microsoft Teams is set to roll out Facilitator, a new AI-powered tool which will look to help better manage your calls, and fill in any potential knowledge gaps which pop up during a meeting.
However, in order to do so, the tool will need to be activated to listen and watch all of your meetings, so it knows when to interfere and chip in.
This has already led some observers to worry about the tool's privacy and security limits, but Microsoft says the tool will be turned off by default, meaning users will actively have to switch it on.
Bots in Teams“We are introducing a new Microsoft Teams Facilitator capability that proactively detects and resolves knowledge gaps during meetings,” an update on the company's admin portal noted.
“Facilitator can identify when participants ask questions or express uncertainty and retrieve and share relevant answers using web search in the meeting chat.”
The company laid out a host of possible use cases where Facilitator may come in handy - such as monitoring an agenda in a meeting invite to help keep everyone on track, displaying the information in a sidebar.
(Image credit: Microsoft)Facilitator can also start a timer to make sure everyone stays focused on the key points of an agenda, which can be lengthened, paused or reset depending on the need. Anyone joining the call late can ask the tool for a quick summary of what has already been discussed, and quickly search for relevant information.
It can also create a document based on a particular topic discussed during a call, helping kick-start a new project or brainstorm ideas, as helping you manage any action items assigned by capturing details in the Notes app.
For those on the move, Facilitator can also instantly capture, transcribe, and organize in-person meeting notes, complete with speaker distinction and actionable recaps, directly from your mobile device.
Once a call is done, Facilitator can also review any content it generated during the meeting, which can be accessed in a separate recap menu, and shared among participants.
Facilitator is in public preview for selected customers now - the company added that a Microsoft 365 Copilot license will be required to add Facilitator to a meeting or turn it on during a meeting. However, any meeting participant (excluding external participants) can see all real-time updates in Chat and Notes.
Via WindowsLatest
We’ve covered the MSI Katana 15 across multiple generations, and our verdict on the line has been consistent: it’s a laptop that “delivers where it counts” for buyers who want genuine performance without paying flagship prices.
Right now, the 2025 MSI Katana 15 with the RTX 5050 is $999 at Walmart, and it makes a strong case for itself as one of the most accessible entry points into Nvidia’s latest Blackwell GPU generation.
The RTX 5050 is Nvidia’s entry-level Blackwell laptop GPU, and it’s the part of this machine’s spec sheet that needs the most honest explanation. It’s not in the same class as the RTX 5070 or 5080 in laptops that cost significantly more — but it does bring DLSS 4 support including Multi Frame Generation to the 'under $1000' category.
Today's fastest laptop dealIn our testing, the MSI Katana 15 always strikes the right balance of design, performance, and price - with some good specs including the high-performance Intel Core i7-14650HX. That's coupled with the fast 16GB DDR5, 512GB SSD, and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5050 GPU with 8GB GDDR7. View Deal
The high-performance Intel Core i7-14650HX is a 16-core, 24-thread Raptor Lake Refresh chip with a 5.2GHz boost clock. It's a meaningfully more capable processor than the U-series or P-series chips found in consumer laptops at this price.
The 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD are the other two specs worth noting.
It's the fast 16GB DDR5, which is the right baseline — it comfortably handles multi-tasking, gaming, and general content creation tasks.
The 512GB SSD is fair at this price-point, although I'd recommend pairing it with an external drive or upgrading the internal SSD at some point.
The 144Hz FHD display is well-matched to the RTX 5050’s capabilities — the GPU can deliver 144 fps for scrubbing through editing timelines and less demanding gaming titles. And the panel will actually show those frames.
It's not the brightest, and it doesn't boast absolute color accuracy. So, it's not one for creative professionals, but if you're starting your content creator journey or just want a cheaper but snappy laptop, there's plenty to like here.
Right now, the MSI Katana 15 is the fastest laptop under $1000 you can get.
- The Blood Message trailer shown in the Summer Game Fest 2026 live show was a surprising highlight
- It demonstrated impressive visual fidelity and cinematic combat, which many fans praised in the comments
- Director of global publishing Jeff Hu says the team is "very excited" by the warm reception
For many, Blood Message was a surprising highlight of the Summer Game Fest 2026 live show. Its latest story trailer was extremely visually impressive, showing off a high level of visual fidelity and glimpses of incredibly cinematic combat.
The footage has now racked up more than three million views on the official Blood Message YouTube channel, with an extremely warm reception from fans.
There are hundreds of comments from viewers, with many praising everything from the realistic graphics to the Ancient China setting. "This looks incredible!" wrote one commenter. "Also, love the attention to detail on historical clothing, arms, and armor."
Another added that "If the gameplay graphics and combat are similar to this, it's going to be the game of the generation, period."
One simply put: "This is how I imagined next gen".
The trailer was soon followed by the release of 19 minutes of pure gameplay footage, which is now sitting at over 10 million views on YouTube.
It seems to have left some viewers in awe, with one writing: "The way the camera dynamically adapts to the environment and the flow of combat is unreal! The transitions are so seamless I can't even comprehend how they pulled it off. I’ve literally never seen anything like this before."
In an exclusive interview with TechRadar Gaming, senior director of global publishing Jeff Hu said that the team has been basking in the praise.
"We saw some YouTube reactions," he revealed. "We are very excited to see that they love this story, love our game, and love the combat itself. It gives us a very big confidence [boost]."
We'll have to wait and see whether this confidence is well placed when Blood Message launches on consoles and PC at a later date.
If you've been planning a new PC build or finally looking to upgrade your existing rig, you'll be happy to know Newegg is holding a 4th of July sale which includes discounted DDR5 memory kits from major brands like Corsair, G.Skill, and TeamGroup.
Whether you're after an affordable 16GB kit or stepping up to 32GB or 64GB for demanding workloads, there are plenty of options to choose from. I've spotted high-speed DDR5 modules available for creators, professionals, and everyday users alike, including the Corsair Vengeance RGB 64GB for $770 (was $920) with code JSF563.
Extra memory can make a noticeable difference when you're editing high-resolution video, working on large creative projects, running virtual machines, or juggling multiple applications at once.
• Shop the full 4th of July sale at Newegg
Today's top DDR5 dealsUpgrade your desktop with 64GB of DDR5 memory, delivering fast 6000MT/s speeds, dual-channel performance, and customizable RGB lighting for smoother multitasking, demanding creative workloads, and high-performance PC builds.
You can save $150 off the usual $919.99 price using coupon code JSF563.View Deal
Boost your desktop with 32GB of DDR5 memory running at 6000MHz, featuring low CL30 latency, customizable RGB lighting, and AMD EXPO support for responsive gaming, multitasking, and demanding creative workloads.
Save $30 off the price with coupon code JSF532.View Deal
Upgrade your PC with 32GB of DDR5 memory running at 6000MHz, featuring low CL30 latency, customizable RGB lighting, Intel XMP 3.0, AMD EXPO support, and SK Hynix memory chips for reliable performance.
Save $25 off the standard price with coupon code JSF535.View Deal
Give your desktop a performance boost with 16GB of DDR5 memory running at 6000MT/s, offering dual-channel responsiveness for smoother multitasking, faster application loading, and reliable everyday computing and gaming.
Save $15 off the standard price with coupon code JSF566.View Deal
Upgrade your desktop with 16GB of DDR5 memory running at 6000MT/s, delivering faster responsiveness, improved multitasking, and dependable performance for gaming, content creation, and everyday computing.View Deal
Newegg's 4th of July Independence Day sale is live now and includes everything from TeamGroup and G.Skill 16GB kits for budget-conscious builders to 32GB options from V-color with low CL30 latency, RGB lighting, and support for both AMD EXPO and Intel XMP 3.0.
If you need even more memory, Corsair's Vengeance RGB 64GB kit delivers plenty of capacity for video editing, AI workloads, content creation, software development, and heavy multitasking.
Many of the featured kits run at 6000MT/s, giving modern Intel and AMD processors the bandwidth they need to perform at their best, while selected models also use premium SK Hynix memory chips for dependable performance.
Whether you're upgrading an older PC or putting together a brand-new system, these memory deals cover every budget without compromising on speed or features.
With DDR5 prices still much higher than many PC builders would like them to be, Newegg's 4th of July sale is a great opportunity to buy high-end memory at a much more affordable price.
Palantir CEO Alex Karp has hit out at the state of the AI industry, saying it was "effing insane" that the technology is being used in areas such as military and national security.
In a heated interview with CNBC Squawk Box, the controversial billionaire also hit out at top AI firms such as OpenAI, claiming he had spoken to major CEOs outside of the industry who were "livid" at how some companies are doing business.
Karp also accused some major AI companies of imposing a “wealth tax” on businesses by charging high fees for their services, all while collecting data which may be used to improve their own AI models and tools.
"Completely wrong"Karp's ire was particularly focused on the token model being used by the likes of Anthropic and OpenAI, especially as costs continue to rise, but companies look for a better return on their investment.
“I’m not throwing shade at them, but something has gone completely wrong,” he said. “The basic view among enterprises in this country is I’m going to chillax and waste my time with tokens.”
This includes a range of Chinese firms, with Karp warning the US not to underestimate the speed of progress being seen at its great rival.
Rising AI prices have led many businesses to pivot towards building and training their own models, rather than relying on outside providers, with so-called "open weight" models able to perform at a fraction of the cost.
Karp's frustration was clearly visible, with one CNBC host commenting, “You sound pretty angry,” with the CEO responding, “This is the voice of American business that is being channeled through me.”
To shore up its own support, Palantir recently announced a major partnership with Nvidia which will see the latter's AI services used to create custom models for US government agencies.
“What aligns me with Nvidia, and I think is what the technical customers want, which is control over their compute, their models, their data stack and their alpha,” Karp told CNBC. “They want to know they own the means of production. It’s not being transferred to someone else.”
This follows recent criticism by the US government of firms such as Anthropic, whose Mythos 5 and Fable 5 AI models were deemed a national security risk and shut down shortly after release.
Karp went on to criticize the US government for its reliance on AI companies in creating new technology for the military and national security.
“Are we really going to outsource the battlefield of this country to the consensus view in Silicon Valley? That is effing insane," he noted.
- Some Windows 11 users have found their drive space has been mysteriously dwindling
- In some reported cases, this is down to a database file for a Windows component that grows massively due to an apparent bug
- The optional update for June fixes this, albeit that patch is still in testing
If you use Windows 11 and have been wondering why your drive space seems to have been mysteriously dwindling of late, the culprit could be a background process called Capability Access Manager.
Capability Access Manager (CAM) is a rather obscure Windows component which, as the name suggests, manages the apps on your PC in terms of permissions to access the camera, mic and so forth.
CAM keeps a database that logs app requests and this is stored as a file called CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal – and it's that file which is growing hugely on the drives of some unlucky Windows 11 users.
Neowin reports that Microsoft just implemented the fix for this aggravating issue in the latest update for Windows 11. This is patch KB5095093 which is the optional update for June (so it's still in preview, or testing, at this point).
In the changelog for this release, Microsoft tells us: "This update improves disk space usage for the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal file."
So, with any luck, this will be an end to the gremlin, and those who install the June preview will find this database file has been changed so it doesn't spiral out of control and eat their storage like some kind of log-based black hole.
Analysis: a baffling case of bloat(Image credit: Stokkete / Shutterstock)This is a nasty little problem, especially for those who've got a modest main drive for Windows 11, such as a 256GB SSD (or maybe even smaller). With reports of the database file expanding to a size of 60GB to 100GB, or even larger (200GB according to this Redditor), you can see how problematic this could be when you're already short on space with your SSD.
Microsoft doesn't explicitly say that this is a bug, but surely it must have been? Albeit a situational one that only occurred on certain systems by all accounts (Dell PCs are mentioned in a few reports, I should note). It's clear, however, that there are a lot of reports of CAM woes on Reddit and Microsoft's own help site, with some folks left scratching their heads as to what on earth was going on – and why their drive space was disappearing into some apparent void.
Unfortunately, these problems have been around for some time, with those reports going back to March 2026, and some dating from almost a year ago. As one Redditor explained in a post some 10 months ago: "Turns out it's the 'CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal' file which ate up 25GB. Looked through some forums and seems like it's a notorious culprit for system bloat. That file is supposed to slowly build up then be emptied each month, but mine bugged and never emptied itself."
There are workarounds to delete the CAM database file and effectively empty it out, but they're somewhat fiddly, and the log will rebuild itself if buggy conditions still abound on your PC. As one Redditor observed: "I spent hours trying to delete that file. Like in a horror movie, it just wouldn't die, even when I thought I had killed it. Your procedure [workaround] worked perfectly. Thanks!"
So, the whole thing has been a bit of a headache really, and while it's good to see an apparent cure now, it's taken Microsoft long enough. And frankly, I'm not impressed with the communication on this issue from the software giant.
To be clear, the fix right now is to download and install the June optional update for Windows 11, but bear in mind that as noted, it's a preview, so there's no guarantee it'll work as it should. The resolution will be provided with the full July update, mind, in tested form, and that's just around the corner – so you might just want to wait for that. Assuming your drive isn't chock-full and causing you a whole load of grief, anyway.
The best streaming services have added plenty of new movies to their library in July and, as always, there are some horror gems among them.
Many of these horror movies were released at the beginning of July, meaning you can stream them immediately. Others require a bit of a wait, but based on their trailers alone, I'm sure they'll be worth it.
Here are the horror movies I recommend checking out in July 2026.
Talk to MeWhen: July 1
Where: Netflix (US); rent or buy (UK, AU)
Talk to Me was a hugely successful debut from filmmaking brothers Danny and Michael Philippou. After starting out on YouTube, they released this feature film and scared people all over the world.
It follows a group of teenagers as they discover they can contact spirits via a mysterious embalmed hand. They become hooked on the thrill of it until a seemingly innocent party game gets out of control and someone unleashes terrifying supernatural forces. Their second movie, Bring Her Back, is just as good, and you can find it on HBO Max.
World War ZWhen: July 1
Where: Prime Video (US); Paramount+ (UK); rent or buy (AU)
Brad Pitt's zombie movie World War Z is a perfect choice if you want a blend of action and horror. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Max Brooks, and follows Pitt's character Gerry — a former United Nations investigator who travels the world seeking a solution for a zombie apocalypse.
It was a huge box office success at the time of its release, and now you can watch it across the best streaming services. This is one of the zombie movies I go back to, as it's a shot of pure adrenaline.
The WitchWhen: July 1
Where: Netflix (US); rent or buy (UK, AU)
Robert Eggers' The Witch is streaming on Netflix, and considering the trailer for his new movie Werewulf dropped recently, now is the perfect time to watch his first folk horror movie.
Eggers is a huge name in the horror genre now, where he has become known for his love of period settings and mythology. This brilliant horror was also the feature film debut for lead star Anya Taylor-Joy, where she plays a woman who lives in a Puritan family and is accused of being a witch. Keep an eye out for Black Philip too, my favorite character of the bunch.
The RingWhen: July 1
Where: Paramount+ (US, UK); rent or buy (AU)
Gore Verbinski's The Ring is a remake of the iconic Japanese horror, but it's no less brilliant. The English-language version has become a staple among many horror fans, and now you can relive the terrifying moments on Paramount+.
The well loved (and feared) movie follows a journalist who discovers a cursed VHS tape that causes its viewers to die seven days later. It's a classic for a reason and if you haven't seen it yet, I strongly recommend it.
Exit 8When: July 17
Where: Shudder (worldwide)
Exit 8 is one of the great liminal-focused horrors that was released this year, and you can now relive the nightmare on Shudder. I loved this adaptation of the classic horror game, as we follow a man trapped in a never-ending subway tunnel.
Despite taking place in one location, it will leave you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out if escape is possible for our poor protagonist, known only as The Lost Man. In my interview with director Genki Kawamura he described it as being "like purgatory", and I couldn't agree more.
SaccharineWhen: July 24
Where: Shudder (worldwide)
Saccharine taps into the dangerous world of extreme weight-loss trends, and this one is especially disturbing. We follow Hana, a medical student who begins eating human ashes in an effort to lose weight quickly.
If that wasn't strange enough, it gets even stranger. Hana soon finds herself terrorized by the ghost of the person she's eating, making this a unique and truly frightening supernatural horror movie.
NightbornWhen: July 31
Where: Shudder (worldwide)
Finally, Nightborn arrives on Shudder at the end of the month. Here, Seidi Haarla and Rupert Grint star as new parents living in the Finnish forest. We follow them over the course of one year as they discover that there's something wrong with their baby.
Nightborn explores well-known horror themes like anxieties around motherhood. Director Hanna Bergholm has done this before with the brilliant movie Hatching, and I'm excited to see where her latest story goes.
The debate around Anthropic’s Mythos has understandably focused on model safety, but for businesses the more important lesson may be one of AI governance.
Mythos points to a problem most organizations are not currently built to manage: AI can now help uncover weaknesses faster than businesses can assess, prioritize and remediate them. Security vulnerabilities have always existed across software, infrastructure, supplier relationships, data flows and internal processes.
What has changed is not the existence of risk, but the speed at which it can now be discovered and the pressure that places on organizations to decide what matters most, who owns the response and how quickly action needs to be taken.
For large technology companies with deep security research capability, that acceleration may be difficult but manageable. For many other businesses, particularly smaller organizations, the challenge is very different. They are exposed to the same shift in risk discovery, but without anything close to the same resources, specialist teams or remediation capacity to absorb it.
At a time when organizations are already dealing with a flow of serious cyber attacks, this cannot be treated as a security issue alone. It is becoming a governance issue too, because greater visibility into risk only improves resilience if the business has the structure, accountability and confidence to act on what it finds.
When discovery outpaces responseAs more weaknesses are surfaced, the real bottleneck shifts from detection to prioritization, and then ultimately remediation. Recent data shows that 34% of leaders cite employees inputting sensitive data into AI systems as their top concern, while 21% attribute risky behavior to insufficient training and a further 21% to the pressure to act quickly.
Security teams may be the first to see an issue, but they cannot resolve it in isolation. Someone has to determine which systems are most critical, which vulnerabilities create genuine business exposure, and which risks can be tolerated for a period of time. These are not purely technical decisions. They involve operations, legal, procurement, compliance, engineering and senior leadership.
This is why Mythos should be read as a governance signal. It shows how quickly technical discovery can create organizational pressure. If a business cannot clearly answer who owns the response, how issues are escalated and when leadership needs to make an explicit risk decision, then faster discovery does not necessarily make the organisation safer. It may simply reveal the places where governance was already weak.
Unknown risk is still accepted riskOne of the most important shifts businesses need to make is in how they think about unknown risk. Very few organizations have perfect visibility across every system, supplier and process, and security teams have always understood that some level of unknown risk exists.
What AI changes is the speed and scale at which that risk can be brought to the surface. As discovery becomes faster, broader and more continuous, organizations can quickly find themselves with more issues than they have the capacity to triage or fix.
That creates an uncomfortable reality. If a vulnerability exists in the organisation, the business is carrying it whether or not it has been formally recorded, reviewed or approved. Unknown risk is still accepted risk, even when that acceptance is accidental.
Risk discovery only creates value when it leads to better-informed decisions. Without a clear operating model, businesses are left with a widening gap between what they know, what they can fix and what they are implicitly choosing to tolerate.
Organizations need to understand which systems matter most, which suppliers are critical, who is responsible for remediation and when leadership needs to decide whether a risk should be fixed, monitored, transferred or accepted. That does not mean every business needs to build a program on the scale of Project Glasswing, but it does mean they need a more disciplined way of turning visibility into action.
Closing the governance gapThe practical response is to treat AI-driven risk discovery as more than a security workflow. Security teams need the capability to detect, validate and investigate weaknesses, but governance determines what happens after that. It defines ownership, escalation, prioritization and accountability, and prevents risk decisions from being made informally, inconsistently, too late or not at all.
This means governance has to move closer to day-to-day operations. It cannot sit only in policy documents, periodic reviews or committee structures. It needs to influence the decisions people make in the systems they use every day, whether they are approving a supplier, deploying a tool, handling sensitive data or responding to a newly discovered weakness.
This is where governance becomes a practical business capability rather than a compliance exercise. A strong program should help the organization understand what has been found, how serious it is, who owns the response, what action is being taken and how quickly progress can be shown.
ConclusionMythos matters because it points to a future where risk discovery becomes more difficult to contain within traditional security processes. Finding weaknesses earlier gives organizations a better chance of addressing them before attackers exploit them, but discovery on its own is not enough.
The organizations that handle this shift well will not necessarily be those that surface the most issues. They will be the ones that can decide what matters, assign ownership and act with enough speed to reduce exposure.
AI is magnifying the gap between what organizations know and what they are able to govern. Closing that gap will decide whether greater visibility becomes a source of resilience or simply another source of pressure.
We've ranked and reviewed the best antivirus software available.
This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.
The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit
The popularity of compact portable SSDs has made them a mainstay of storage options; after all, they’re relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and for the most part, simply plug-in ready for use. With the latest design evolution, many models now feature a MagSafe connector, enabling you to attach them directly to the back of your mobile device.
However, this ultraportable and compact design means that whilst you can always carry them with you, and they’re robust enough to do so, they are far easier to lose than more traditional desktop solutions.
There are, of course, software encryption options which, off the shelf, will stop your general user from accessing the contents of your drives. But with a little time and some freely downloadable software from the internet, most software encryption is easy enough to overcome. However, if you do want more security for your portable SSD, for your work files, videos and other content, then the likes of the Lexar Touch Portable SSD, which includes 128-bit AES hardware encryption, are a great option.
Whilst there are many portable SSDs that offer similar levels of file security, this portable SSD differs by featuring an NFC chip that lets you quickly unlock the drive without entering any PIN codes or passwords.
It works through an initial setup: download the Lexar app, connect to the SSD via the included USB-C cable, and set up the simple NFC touch, which will later enable you to quickly unlock the device once it’s connected to either a mobile phone or a computer.
There are a few things to consider: unlike some other secure portable SSDs, this one can only be unlocked by the phone with the app installed. Whilst you do have a recovery process during the setup process, it makes it far more secure than many other options on the market. The fact is, this is hardware encryption, so without unlocking the drive, any machine you plug it into won’t recognise that it is even attached. It’s only once that connection has been made with a tap of the phone that you’ll be able to see and access the contents of the drive.
The hardware encryption is exceptional, and none of my off-the-shelf software could access the contents of the drive.
One downside about secure drives is that speed, and sure enough, speeds are relatively limited; whilst we’ve come to expect SSDs with transfer rates of 1000MB/s+, here you’re lucky to hit 400MB/s for read and far less for write, which also limits how you can use this as a working SSD.
Used alongside all newer iPhones and Android devices, you’ll be able to record video in log video quality perfectly well. But if you switch over to the iPhone 17 Pro, then not all of those log frame rates will be available to you due to those limited transfer rates. Likewise, if you’re thinking this would be a great solution to use in combination with your video cameras when shooting productions, just for an added level of security, then the transfer rate lags a little too much.
It's not the best portable SSD on the market - but it is one of the simplest and cheapest encrypted drives I've ever used. As long as you’re not trying to push what you’re doing with this portable SSD and are just using it to transfer secure files for work, then it is an exceptionally good drive. If you’re looking at it as a portable, secure working drive, those speeds will be limiting.
Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Price and availability- How much does it cost? From $100 / £100
- When is it out? Available now
- Where can you get it? Available from retailers including Amazon
The Lexar TouchLock is in 512GB and 1TB capacity models from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, with prices started at $100 / £100.
There's also a 2TB model listed on Lexar's site.
- Value: 5 / 5
Capacity options: 512GB / 1TB / 2TB
Connectivity: USB 3.2 Gen 1, NFC phone authentication
Encryption: 128-bit AES hardware encryption
Size: 1.4oz (40g)
Weight: 3.37 x 2.09 x 0.28in (85.6mm x 53mm x 7mm)
The Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD is a premium storage device designed for use with both your mobile phone and your laptop. The design features a high-quality metal-effect casing that gives the device a good, solid feel, and includes a MagSafe connector on the back that enables it to quickly attach to the back of your mobile phone. Due to the device's slim design, it’s extremely comfortable to hold even with the drive in place.
When it comes to the size and dimensions, it’s extremely light. The unit weighs 1.4oz (40g) for the drive itself (for the one-terabyte version reviewed), and the USB-C cable weighs 7g, bringing the grand total to 47g. In terms of size, it’s obviously been designed to fit neatly on the back of your mobile phone, and it measures 3.37 x 2.09 x 0.28in (85.6mm x 53mm x 7mm).
The drive, as well as being usable with your mobile phone, is compatible with any laptop or, for that matter, desktop PC. It features a standard USB-C connector, and Lexar includes a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter in the box.
What marks this portable SSD out from most others is its NFC security TouchLock, which requires your mobile phone and the Lexar app to be installed to unlock the drive and recognise it by your mobile phone or the computer it’s attached to.
- Design: 4 / 5
As a compact, rugged, lightweight portable storage device, the Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD stands out from the majority of others with features such as dual-layer encryption and fortified data protection.
What this means is that when you connect the portable SSD to your computer or mobile device, unlike most others, it isn’t instantly recognised. Even if you go into Disk Utility to search for connected devices, this portable SSD won’t appear. It is completely locked until you unlock it using the dedicated Lexar app.
Activating NFC and AES encryption for the drive is all handled during the initial setup process, which enables the NFC chip in the portable SSD and your mobile phone to communicate when they’re tapped together, acting as a key to access the drive's contents.
Lexar has ensured that the drive has wide compatibility, so whilst it features a MagSafe connector on the back that enables you to connect it directly to an iPhone, a metal ring is included in the box to attach it to an Android phone. It’s also widely compatible with other mobile phones, tablets and even desktop PCs.
The overall quality is good and solid. Whilst it might not be waterproof, it has been tested to withstand a two-metre drop and, through the test, proved durable enough for everyday use, being carried around in a camera backpack.
Taking a closer look at the lead feature, multilevel encryption, this is essentially 128-bit AES hardware encryption, which gives you far greater security than standard software encryption methods on most drives.
The Lexar Touch Portable SSD pairs an NFC chip with AES hardware encryption, so you can access the drive only after that connection is made. If, for whatever reason, you try to access the drive using another device, like other hardware-encrypted devices that require passwords, without that NFC tap (as with a password), there’s no access to the contents of the drive.
Lexar highlights that the level of encryption makes it ideal for business professionals, government and enterprise users, or everyday users seeking a higher level of security.
One of the things I like about the feature set is that, like other Lexar storage devices compatible with the Lexar app, it offers all the usual backup options that can be configured. So if you want a secure way to back up your mobile phone, it is perfectly possible. All you need to do is set up the process, connect the drive via USB to your mobile phone, tap to unlock with the NFC chip, and then, through the app, select ‘backup’ and the rest will be handled automatically.
One final point here is that, unlike most portable SSDs, security is the key attraction of this drive. Whilst it is relatively fast at around 400MB/s, it’s slower than the likes of the Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD, which means that whilst it’s great for archiving and backing up your data, it’s not a great option if you’re looking for a working drive.
- Features: 3.5 / 5
AmorphousDiskMark Read: 391.10MB/s
AmorphousDiskMark Write: 221.94MB/s
AJA System Test Lite Read: 266MB/s
AJA System Test Lite Write: 229MB/s
ATTO Disk Benchmark Read: 383.10MB/s
ATTO Disk Benchmark Write: 397.49MB/s
Most portable SSDs require little in the way of setup; just plug them in, and the storage will appear, ready for use on your laptop, desktop, or mobile phone. However, with the Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD, it’s not quite as straightforward because you have to set up the drive's security before you can actually mount the storage on the system you’re using. To do this, first connect it to your mobile phone via the USB-C cable, and make sure your mobile phone has an NFC chip; otherwise, you won’t have the key to unlock the drive.
The next step is to download the Lexar app. Then, as long as the SSD is connected, the app will detect the drive when you start it. You then run through the setup process, including the final step: saving your recovery key, a long string of words used if you need to set up the SSD on another device.
Once everything is done, in place and registered, the drive is ready to use. On your mobile phone, you simply plug it in, tap where the NFC chip is, and the SSD will then be ready for use, to back up your files or record video footage if you're using an iPhone with a Lightning port, although there are limitations for the latest iPhone model due to the video file size and data rates.
If, however, you’re connecting it to your laptop or desktop machine, once it’s connected, tap the unlock pad on the drive with your mobile phone's NFC and the drive will unlock and mount.
One thing I noticed right away: for the NFC chip to work and unlock the SSD, you need the Lexar app installed and open. You can’t just pick up your mobile phone and tap the NFC area on the SSD for it to unlock; you need to unlock the phone, access the Lexar app, select the Lexar TouchLock SSD option, and then tap the lock. It’s not a long process, but it’s not the one-touch I was hoping for. However, once the SSD is unlocked, essentially, it’s like any other portable SSD.
As I ran through a series of tests, I noted that the speed, whilst good at around 400MB/s for read speeds, the write speeds on the Mac averaged around 200MB/s, lagging well behind most other recent portable SSDs, and this is no doubt due to the level of security in place. This means it's a great portable SSD for storing and archiving sensitive data. However, if you’re looking at this as a secure working drive, then those transfer rates will be a bit limiting. If you were thinking of using this with one of the many cameras that can utilise external storage, then for many cameras, those transfer rates are below the minimum requirements needed to capture the latest video.
Once I copied some content to the review sample's 1 TB of storage, I unplugged and plugged it into a PC and tried to access the files with a variety of software. Unlike software-encrypted devices that still mount and appear in the drive listings, here the drive wouldn’t be recognised by the computer until the NFC lock was tapped. This made it far more secure than all software-encrypted drives, and a great option.
After giving the drive a good test, there was one big question I had to answer: what if I needed to post my secure files to my accountant, or if I was working on a project that required sending them securely? It seemed the drive itself could be transported, and the contents would be nice and secure, but my main question was: could it be unlocked at the other end without using my phone, which had the NFC key set up?
The simple answer is: while you can set up the Lexar app on another device, you’ll need the recovery key to do so. It does take a little time to select all the options, but as long as you have the recovery key you saved at the outset, you can send it to another party. When they receive the drive, they can install the app, use the recovery key to set it up, and then unlock the drive.
The pure simplicity of the Lexar Touch Portable SSD makes it exceptionally straightforward, and, from my point of view, it’s very much a personal device rather than one to be used by a business. The reason is that you set it up for a single user, and if you are thinking about posting it, then the process is a little convoluted. Other secure drives have a far more fluid system, enabling admin users and user accounts to be set up with different passwords and access levels, whereas here, through the Lexar app device management, you only really get the option to change the name of the drive and the password, so from that perspective, things are rather limited.
However, if you’re looking for a good, solid, very secure portable SSD for everyday use, then the Lexar Touch Portable SSD is a good, lightweight and secure option.
- Performance: 4 / 5
The Lexar Touch Portable SSD is a neat and stylish secure drive that will suit individuals, small businesses, and anyone looking to secure their files. Throughout this review, it was clear that this is more of a personal secure drive than one used by enterprises or larger businesses. There’s no mass management, admin user access, or access rights for different sections of the drive. It’s more just a hardware-encrypted drive, you plug it in and use NFC to lock and unlock.
Once you start to look at it from this perspective, it’s a very solid choice. Considering the cost of secure drives, it’s exceptionally well priced, with a good range of capacities from 512GB to 2TB, which, for most documentation, will be absolutely fine. However, if you are looking to store multimedia and larger files, then that 2TB top capacity might be a little limiting.
Likewise, whilst this is a secure drive, the transfer rates, fast compared with traditional HDDs, are around 400MB/s, slower than a standard SSD. So if you are looking to use this as a working drive, then again, it might be a little limiting.
The MagSafe connector on the back makes it usable with mobile devices. Whilst it’s very good for backing up your mobile phone data and for recording some log video, again, with the latest iPhone 17, those transfer rates are a little limiting.
However, for everyday users looking for a portable SSD that offers far more protection than your average storage device, this is a very compact, lightweight, and secure option.
Value
Compared to the competition, this hardware-encrypted portable SSD is excellent value
5
Design
Stylish, slimline design that makes it ultra-portable and useful with mobile devices
4
Features
A limited range of features focused on simple, easy-to-use security
3.5
Performance
Excellent hardware encryption security, decent build quality, and okay transfer speed
4
Overall
An exceptionally well-priced hardware-encrypted drive, great for secure backups
4
Buy it if...Password-free security
You want your drive locked by default, without having to type in passwords or use complex encryption apps.
iPhone-friendly setup
You like the idea of a MagSafe-style drive that can sit neatly on a phone for securely transporting and storing content.
You capture the Log video.
The latest mobile phones require higher transfer rates than this portable SSD can deliver to capture the latest log video.
No advanced options
If you're looking to equip staff with a secure portable SSD, then the lack of administration management will be an issue.
For more storage solutions, we've tested out the best external hard drives and the best rugged drives.
Google's new Nano Banana 2 Lite is really fast, as in about four seconds from prompt to image. That speed changes how you think about writing the prompts as much as the schedule of producing them.
The standard Nano Banana 2 model, and most other AI image generators for that matter, take long enough that it's worth spending some time working out the perfect prompt. It can be annoying to have to redo it multiple times when you have to wait up to a minute and still might get it wrong. You learn to be cautious in your prompting.
Nano Banana 2 Lite breaks that rhythm. I noticed my own speed changing to almost match. I didn't feel the need to write a perfect prompt. I treated it more like a sketchpad for ideas that could be quickly tossed out if they didn't work or revised until they did. None of them felt like much of a commitment because another attempt was only a few seconds away.
Nano Banana 2 (left)/Nano Banana 2 Lite (right) (Image credit: Google Gemini)And it's not as though there's an enormous downgrade in results. For instance, I asked both versions of Nano Banana 2 to make "A steampunk fleet sailing through outer space above Earth, complete with ornate wooden airships covered in brass." There is plenty there to cause fits in any image model.
Without knowing which was which, more than one person guessed wrong or thought it was a trick and the two were from the same model. The one on the left is Nano Banana 2, and the one on the right is its Lite sibling. You can guess one is higher quality if you study it, and certainly over time you can spot where the Lite version might let you down, but when it only takes four seconds to come up with another one, it doesn't matter too much.
Speedy creationWhile the standard Nano Banana 2 is good for when you need the highest fidelity or have an extra tricky request, Lite exists for speed and brainstorming. Google positions Nano Banana 2 Lite as the faster, cheaper companion, helpful especially at scale.
For the average person, it means you don't have to invest as much time in your initial prompt and can play around more.
Nano Banana 2 Lite. Prompt: "a busy farmer's market." (Image credit: Google Nano Banana 2 Lite)It means you can iterate in interesting ways too. For instance, I started with a prompt for "a busy farmer's market." Crowds remain one of the quickest ways to expose the weaknesses of AI image generators because there are so many people, poses, and interactions happening at once.
The result was fine, but I began adding specific details and Nano Banana 2 Lite obliged me with about a dozen options in a few minutes. Now, my requests for things like children chasing bubbles, an elderly couple buying flowers, a street musician, and a fruit vendor making a sale in the foreground are all right there. There are some flaws and odd details, but for four seconds it's not bad.
Brainstorming promptsNotice the mistakes: No suitcase in panel two, and two suitcases in panel three. (Image credit: Google Nano Banana 2 Lite)And it should be repeated that Nano Banana 2 Lite is not much of a step down from the larger model and is capable of coherent storytelling, but not necessarily perfectly on the first try. I asked it to "Make a six-panel comic about a businessman who accidentally swaps briefcases with an alien in a train station."
The comic makes sense overall. The characters stayed consistent from one panel to the next, the sequence flowed naturally, and the final reveal landed with exactly the right amount of absurdity. There are, of course, two huge errors in the comic, where the human has no briefcase in the second panel and two in the third.
A couple of further prompts solved the problem, but it's important to note that the easier solution is to iterate, not to spend a lot more time reworking the prompt with extra detail. A version made with the regular Nano Banana 2 model notably did not share the same flaw. In other words, each model has its place, and you might even end up polishing a prompt in Lite and then taking it to the Nano Banana 2 for an even higher-quality version.
Still, when you can make so many images so quickly, you can rethink how you come up with the prompts. That seems to be Google's goal for Nano Banana 2 Lite. It feels designed for the messier parts of the creative process. The bigger model is for a deeper commitment. Making each individual image feel a little less important might eventually encourage people to create far better images.
If you own Apple's latest Mac mini M4, you've no doubt found that while it's unquestionably powerful, the tiny desktop's selection of front-facing ports and internal storage options can quickly become limiting if you're working with large files or connecting multiple accessories.
UGreen's M4 Dock & Stand solves both problems while matching the Mac mini's footprint for a clean, integrated look.
The dock is easily one of the most useful accessories you can add to the Mac mini M4, and Amazon has cut the price from $89.99 to $54.99, a solid 39% saving.
Today's top dock dealExpand your Mac mini M4 with an 11-in-1 dock featuring an M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure supporting up to 8TB, multiple USB-A and USB-C ports, SD card readers, and transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps.View Deal
The standout feature is the built-in M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure, which supports drives up to 8TB. Compatible with 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 SSDs, it gives you an easy way to add high-speed storage for 4K video editing, photo libraries, backups, and other demanding workloads without relying on external drives scattered across your desk.
Transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps also help move large files quickly, making this a superb, highly affordable upgrade for creators and professionals working with sizeable media projects.
It's important to note however, that the SSD isn't included, so you'll need to supply your own.
Beyond storage, the dock transforms the Mac mini into a much more capable workstation.
It adds 11 ports, including three USB-A 10Gbps ports, two additional USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and SD and microSD card readers, giving you plenty of room for external drives, cameras, peripherals, and other accessories.
Ugreen has also paid attention to lots of little details. The dock follows the Mac mini's shape, includes anti-slip silicone pads, and even adds a clever power button lever, so you can switch on your Mac without lifting the computer.
A short 4cm cable helps keep your workspace tidy, while the dock can draw power directly from the Mac mini or use an external adapter if you're connecting several devices.
In our five star review, we called the Mac mini "smaller, faster, better" and said it might even be the "best Mac ever."
If your Mac mini M4 or M4 Pro is starting to feel short on storage or ports, this dock is a brilliant upgrade and a 39% saving makes it even more attractive.
- Google Home Speaker users are reporting early issues
- The voice assistant is taking up to 60 seconds to respond to requests
- Google has said it's working on a fix, but there hasn't been any updates
Google has only just returned to smart hubs with its new AI-powered Google Home Speaker, six long years after the company released the Nest Audio — and users are already running into issues.
It’s been barely a week since pre-orders were shipped and those who’ve been excited to test out the upgraded Google Home Speaker have been let down with the device’s performance.
The crux of the issue is the voice assistant itself, which many users say takes a while to respond to their commands. A slew of Reddit posts highlight the same issue, agreeing that the speaker can take between 30-60 seconds before responding, and others have experienced audio cutting out altogether.
Google Speaker 2026 from r/googlehomeWhile we don’t know how widespread these lagged responses are, the top comment in the Reddit thread above says it’s happening globally. Whether this is the case or not, it’s birthed a lot of frustration among those who have spent good money on the new device — “I’m returning mine” one user writes, while another says “I really hope Google puts more effort into things”.
Looking at the user reactions, it appears that this issue is also prevalent in older devices like the Nest Audio and Nest Mini, so it’s not just the new Home Speaker that’s going through the ringer. Thankfully, Google is doing something about it.
Amidst the backlash, the official u/GoogleNestCommunity replied to the Reddit post with the following; “We're aware of an issue causing increased latency or timing out. We are working on a fix ASAP and will circle back once this is resolved. Thanks for your patience”.
Though Google’s acknowledgment provides some sort of reassurance that a fix is on the way, the company hasn’t provided any details on how it intends to address the issues or when users can expect to see an improvement. At this rate, it’s still a waiting game, but this isn’t the only run-in with criticism the Google Home Speaker has faced since its launch.
Repairability could be hinderedWhen Google officially announced the new Home Speaker in October 2025, I was thrilled to see a new speaker was on the way just as much as the next person, but there’s one setback which an early unboxing video addresses.
The Google Home Speaker has a fixed power cable, meaning you can’t disconnect it like you can with the majority of the best smart speakers. It may sound like we’re splitting hairs here, but the unboxing video highlights the repairability problem that comes with not having an unpluggable power cord.
These issues aside, the Google Home Speaker isn't totally devoid of positives. According to the same unboxing video, the speaker’s accompanying app has a lot of appeal and the overall audio quality is pretty solid — so it’s nice to see that Google has adhered to its 360-audio upgrade promises.
- Apple will reportedly refresh its iPad Pro line in early 2027
- The main change is likely to be a new chipset, but it's uncertain whether the M6 or M7 will be used
- It's also very likely that these will be extremely expensive tablets
It will soon be a year since the last iPad Pro models launched, but if you were hoping for successors this year, you’re probably out of luck, as a new report suggests we won’t see new models until 2027.
According to reputable Apple tipster Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg (via MacRumors), the company will launch new 11-inch and 13-in iPad Pro models in ‘spring’ 2027 — presumably meaning sometime between March and May.
Apparently, their designs won’t be changed much, but the internals will be updated, with a new chipset and potentially a vapor chamber to help keep them cool.
However, which chipset they’ll use remains uncertain — the iPad Pro 11-inch (2025) and iPad Pro 13-inch (2025) both have an M5 chipset, so we’d expect at least an M6. But according to this Bloomberg report, Apple will debut its M7 chipset “as early as the first half of 2027.” So if that’s out in time for the next iPad Pro’s launch, there’s a chance it will be included.
Either way, this should be a very powerful tablet, but if it does launch with an M6 chipset only for Apple to announce the M7 soon after, that might make it less desirable than it could otherwise be.
A pricey prospectApple's latest iPad Pro now costs more than it did at launch (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)The bigger concern about the next iPad Pro, though, is how much it might cost. The ongoing RAM crisis recently caused Apple to raise the prices of many of its devices, including iPads, and since the 9-month-old iPad Pro 2025 has shot up in price, there’s no doubt that 2027’s iPad Pro models will launch at a very high price too.
Exactly how high is uncertain, though. For reference, the iPad Pro 2025 series now starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$1,999, so the iPad Pro 2027 will almost certainly cost at least that much. But if RAM prices keep increasing, then it’s feasible that it could cost even more — especially with inflation and a new chipset.
So, you might want to get saving — or just make do with your old tablet for a while longer, especially if you upgraded in the last few years.
The official Samsung Store had an epic deal on the Galaxy S26 Ultra last week, with the retailer offering the device with a record-beating $350 upfront discount. Well, after a short pause, it appears that the deal is back today — just in time for the 4th of July.
In case you missed it, the deal in question is a choice between an upfront $350 discount or a trade-in rebate of up to $720. Both can be used to get a seriously cheap unlocked device here, but the upfront discount is actually the more noteworthy of the two.
Generally speaking, we're accustomed to seeing big trade-in rebates on this device, but if you're someone looking to just buy a device outright, then you'll know that big upfront discounts like this are much rarer.
Today's discount brings the 256GB configuration down to $949, which is still pricey, but much better than the $1,299 that it originally listed for on release.
Today's record-low Galaxy S26 Ultra deal at SamsungSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: $350 off upfront, or up to $720 off with a trade-in at Samsung
The outstanding Galaxy S26 Ultra has just been listed for its lowest price yet at the official Samsung Store, with an excellent $350 discount on unlocked devices. Available across all storage variants and colors, this deal can get you a device for as little as $949 upfront. Trade-in rebates of up to $720 are also available, but we've seen slightly better offerings in the past for trades.View Deal
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the current phone to beat if you're looking for the very best high-end Android flagship money can buy. Our Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review described it as 'the best Galaxy S phone to date' despite its fairly modest upgrades over the previous generation.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra definitely resembles the S25 Ultra, but the company did tweak the formula slightly with new features without increasing the price. For example, the new Privacy display and Super Steady video mode — both of which you won't get on the standard Galaxy S26 or S26 Plus.
Otherwise, it's still an Ultra device, meaning you get the best display, best cameras, and the versatility of its built-in S Pen. It's definitely pricey, but if you're a power user who makes full use of your phone, it's worth the $950 price of admission.
More of today's best sales at Samsung- Sony plans to halt physical game production by January 2028
- Analysts say the announcement telegraphs that the PS6 will arrive in 2028
- It's predicted that the console won't have a disc drive
Following Sony's announcement that it will halt production of physical games within the next two years, analysts have determined that the next-gen PS6 console will launch in 2028.
According to Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls, PlayStation's all-digital plan "telegraphs quite a lot of information about Sony’s plans for its next-generation console, the PlayStation 6," including a release window.
"We believe this almost certainly guarantees that the PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest," he predicted, adding that the "current expectation is that the console will launch at the end of 2028."
Harding-Rolls also suggests that "at a minimum," the standard version of the PS6 won't have a physical media disc drive because Sony will be looking for ways to reduce the cost of its next-gen hardware, and "this is an easy win."
"It’s possible that an add-on disc drive could be made available to play older PS4 and PS5 games on disc," the analyst added.
"Removing the drive will upset some gamers that don’t want to pay for an add-on disc drive (if available) and that want to access their game collections on disc. It may be too impractical or too complex, but some process of transferral for older physical media to a digital license could alleviate some of these issues."
Whether the PS6 will be a console like the PS5 is yet to be known; however, recent comments from Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino seem to suggest that the next-generation PlayStation console could be a handheld.
Nishino said, "For the next-generation platform, rather than simply serving as an alternative to PCs, we aim to deliver value that is unique to PlayStation," which would include "technological advancements but also an expansion of usage styles, enabling a seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room."
New reports have claimed that Microsoft is also moving away from physical media.
It's said that the company is testing a disc-to-digital feature for existing consoles and could release a next-gen Project Helix console without a disc drive.
If you've been checking the weather forecast, you'll have noticed that the temperature is set to rise again next week. It might not reach the scorching highs of 40C, but much of the UK is still going to be hot and sticky, so it's wise to grab a fan before stock flies off the virtual shelves again.
Lots of fans completely sold out last week (some won't be back in stock until October), but there are some great deals on models from big brands if you know where to look. I've scoured the web and found six particularly good offers from reputable brands, so you don't end up settling for less than the best.
My personal pick is the Dimplex FlexBlade Bladeless Tower Fan, which is now £159.99 at Amazon (was £199.99), and kept me comfortable the last time the temperatures soared. You can aim this fan at your bed, and it's quiet enough not to disturb your sleep.
I borrowed one of these fans during the last heatwave, and it was a lifesaver. Its 'arms' can be rotated 90 degrees so it blows a sheet of cool air over your bed. I saw it selling for over £400 in some online stores only a week ago, so this is a great time to snap it up.View Deal
This tower fan is fantastic value at just under £60, and can sit neatly in the corner of your room until you need it during a heatwave. It can monitor the temperature of your room, which is particularly smart.View Deal
This app-operated smart fan is still selling for full price at Amazon, but you can get 15% off when you buy it direct from SwitchBot using the code PDDAY15. The code is applied at the checkout automatically. View Deal
Move this smart cordless fan around the house with you, and place it near an open window when the temperature drops to quickly cool the room. It's cheaper in SwitchBot's store than at Amazon with the code PDDAY15.View Deal
You can use this rechargeable smart fan anywhere, and it comes with two bases: so you can convert it into a desk fan when you're working. With £20 off, it's great value.View Deal
An exceptionally quiet fan for keeping your bedroom cool at night, this Philips model lets you adjust the height and angle of airflow for a targeted breeze. The discount isn't huge, but at under £50 I'm not going to quibble.View Deal
Want more recommendations? Take a look at our full guide to the best fans for all the top models we've tested in our own homes, and which have earned our seal of approval.
- There are reports of a WhatsApp username impersonation problems
- WhatsApp and Meta say popular names are reserved
- India wants to see the rollout of username reservations paused
WhatsApp is launching a username feature later this year, to enable you to add contacts without revealing your phone number — but while handle reservations have gone live for many users, there are reports that username impersonation is already an issue.
As per testing done by TechCrunch, usernames very similar to Indian politicians, celebrities, business figures, and public institutions are available. They include 'indiamodi' (for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and 'shahrukh.actor' for Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.
This focus on India is because authorities in the country have already asked WhatsApp to put a pause on username reservations. As per the BBC, the Indian government suggests that WhatsApp usernames could "increase cybercrimes" such as online fraud and phishing scams — already big concerns in the country.
The thinking is that usernames could allow scammers to operate without revealing their numbers (which may get picked up in blacklists). If those scammers are also impersonating well-known figures, then the problems are compounded.
Get in lineUsername reservations are here, as more and more people claim theirs, here’s answers to the top questions you’re asking ⬇️Q: Are usernames mandatory?A: Nope, they are optional.Q: What if the username I want isn’t available?A: There’s a few reasons you might not be able to…July 1, 2026
WhatsApp has seen this coming. When announcing the feature, it said that handles for well-known individuals would be reserved for those people — including usernames for politicians, VIPs, and other celebrities.
"People are making false claims about reserving popular or well-known usernames," says WhatsApp. "This isn't true, only the legitimate account owners are able to reserve well-known public-figure names." The same line was repeated by WhatsApp owner Meta when contacted by TechCrunch.
However, it's not clear how many variations of famous names and identities are covered by this block. It seems that with enough imagination, working alternatives can be found — though of course once you start dropping in different spellings, numbers, and extra words, the username impersonation becomes less convincing.
It's a challenge that all social platforms have to deal with, including the Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook. With WhatsApp though, the connection is more direct and the potential scams are more plausible — which may affect the feature's rollout worldwide.
- Capture One has added native Hasselblad .3FR RAW file support
- Hasselblad's X2D II 100C, X2D 100C and CFV 100C are included
- Tethered capture is set to follow later this year
Hasselblad photographers, I have the news you've been waiting years for: Hasselblad cameras finally have native Capture One support.
The support covers Hasselblad's 16-bit .3FR RAW files and includes three of its 100MP medium-format cameras: the X2D II 100C, X2D 100C and CFV 100C digital back (which is the sensor module for the 907X). You'll need the latest version of Capture One 16.8.3 or Mobile Version 3.3.4.
It's truly a match made in heaven; Hasselblad's 16-bit RAW files and 'Natural Color Solution' render possibly the most true-to-life colors I've seen in my 15 years of testing cameras, while Capture One is industry-favorite editing software for color correction and tethered shooting.
This partnership between two Scandinavian companies had to happen some time, and now it has, with tethered shooting support (a studio setup where you can control the camera through the software) also promised for later this year.
It's a big deal for both parties — Hasselblad shooters can ditch Adobe, which is held in lower regard among pro colorists, in favor of Capture One and its precise photo-editing toolset.
The move might also attract new professional and commercial photographers, who have previously been put off because of the lack of Capture One support, to Hasselblad's medium-format digital cameras.
As for Capture One, it can potentially attract a new wave of existing Hasselblad photographers, with a seamless workflow from capture to the finished image.
(Image credit: Hasselblad / Capture One)Letting Hasselblad cameras singUntil now, workarounds were needed to bring Hasselblad RAW files into Capture One, at the cost of color accuracy and editing latitude. Meanwhile, Adobe's photo-editing platforms, such as Lightroom, are held in less regard than Capture One for outright color fidelity.
Now Hasselblad's 100MP medium-format RAW files are supported, with profiles for Hasselblad's entire range of XCD lenses and the ability to organize files as well as edit them and, later this year, tethered capture.
I reached out to Hasselblad for comment, and a spokesperson told me: "One of the most consistent requests has been native support for Hasselblad RAW files in Capture One. This partnership is a direct response to that feedback, and we've been working with the Capture One team for some time to make it happen."
Capture One echoed Hasselblad's sentiment about the new partnership, saying "Giving Hasselblad photographers the native Capture One workflow they've asked us for is genuinely rewarding. Both of us are firmly rooted in the commercial and professional space, and that's a big part of why this partnership makes sense."
And when I asked about the challenges in bringing native support to a new format, Capture One told me, "The real challenge was less about simply reading the files. Getting a new format right means dedicated color profiles for each of the three cameras, so Hasselblad's files render with the true-to-life color our users know Capture One for, plus lens profiles for the XCD lenses that correct distortion, chromatic aberration, and light falloff.
"Throughout, the priority was making sure the unique character of these cameras comes through with the image quality we pride ourselves on."
You can sign up for a free Capture One 7-day trial if you've yet to try it, with subscriptions starting at $18 / £16.67 AU$27 per month, or a one-time purchase costing $349 / £336 / AU$523.